Workplace - Line of Fire

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Chapter: Workplace Safety

Workplace - Line Of Fire 

'Line of fire' refers to a term that when workers place themselves in harm’s way by virtue of the type of work they perform. In other words, when a path of a moving object or hazardous energy intersects with an individual’s body, we can call it a line of fire.

People work in different work environments. As the environment changes, hazards associated with that particular activity will also change; the nature of the hazard will have an impact on the risk (probability x consequence) that it holds. In the case of certain industries like manufacturing and construction, the work environment is very dynamic. It keeps changing at a rapid pace.

Line-of-fire injuries can occur in any work environment, but they are the most deadly hazards in the manufacturing and construction industries. A large number of the deaths are related to line-of-fire injuries directly. It is important to have knowledge about line of fire. Employees should have a better understanding of their work environment and the hazards associated with it.

There are some ways mentioned below where employees could get caught in the line of fire and be injured. 

1. Caught in between or inside of different objects. 
2. Struck by an object. 
3. Release of energy. 
4. Gravity. 
5. Sudden release of tension.

Some Concerned Areas of Accident/Incident

• Heavy equipment 
• Machinery 
• Assembly 
• Manufacturing 
• Hand and power tools 
• Material handling 
• Mobile equipment

Common issues resulting in the line of fire accidents

It is a fact that 80-90% of all workplace accidents are caused due to unsafe behaviour. Few of the behaviours employees should keep an eye on are like: 

• Rushing – You are in a hurry to complete a task 
• Frustration – You are angry, irritated or annoyed 
• Fatigue – You are tired 
• Complacency – You have completed a task many times and have never been hurt before

From the above-mentioned points, it is very clear that awareness is the first defence. The best way to avoid such incidents is the elimination of hazards wherever it is possible. Though elimination is the first choice, it is not possible in some cases, so we may have to look for some other control measures, which are discussed below.

Control Measures 

• Never walk under a suspended load 
• Balance the lad prior to lifting 
• Remove or secure objects that could roll or fall 
• Avoid working under things that could fall 
• Do not overload rigging equipment 
• Allow trained and instructed individuals only to make changes or modifications to high-pressure hydraulic tools 
• Use only correct gripping devices with proper size and load limit 
• Be careful near stacked loads, as they could fall 
• Avoid exiting a vehicle into traffic 
• Be cautious around pressurised or heated fluids 
• Stay focused around machinery

Every day at the workplace there are a variety of potentially dangerous tasks; most of the tasks do not result in an injury, but staying continuously in the line of fire can cost a life or lead to irreplaceable damage to someone. Identifying hazards related to specific work environments is an invaluable skill that employees should possess. Nothing that we do is so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely.